High back car seat or backless booster for 9yr old

[Janet335]

My 9 year old daughter has grown out of her high back booster as is 142cm tall. She’s very slight and also hypermobile and dislocates shoulders etc easily. I’m wondering what to do about next car seat. I’ve found another high backed booster that says up to 150cm tall so don’t know whether to get that or an isofix backless booster. I’m worried about side impact with backless booster. It would be £200 for a high backed booster versus £35 for backless but money isn’t the priority really. I don’t know how many 9-10 year olds are in a car seat if over 135cm tall which is legal limit .

I don't know any childten who are still in car seats after they have passed the legal height! Why don't you do the booster, as soon they may start getting embarassed atound friends etc if they see a propet car seat, whereas a booster seat is less obvious

Does she even need a car seat still? Or is it just down to the hyper mobility you want one ?

I've asked similar on here before and I've kept my very tall 9yo in his HBB. Mainly because of the side impact protection.

I'd go for a safe as possible for as long as possible.

I suppose its safety. Their bodies are still so slight at that age so it’s undoubtedly safer in a high back booster in a crash.

JuneOsbourne which one have you got? We have the recaro one but can’t sit back in it now

In most of Europe the limit is 150cm, my girls are 9 and 146cm and 144cm and both still in a high back booster.

If money isn’t an issue I would go for the HBB then. X

Have you seen whether your DD will fit in the other HBB? Ours apparently goes up to 150cm, DD is less than that but outgrew it last year.

I was going to order to Halfords so easy to check fit myself and then return if no good.
Quornflakegirl which on have you got?

I didn’t know that about Europe being 150cm

As above on my experience they may say 150cm but they don’t actually fit above 145cm. And however much you’d like to use it if their shoulders don’t fit under the head cushion they don’t fit! I had a backless booster for a while at that stage. It helps with seat belt positioning at least. I wasn’t aware they made backless isofix ones

The Diono Monterey 2, it is up to 160cm.

The UK has the one of the least stringent car seat laws in Europe.

Obviously depends on your child’s proportions as well as their height. I also found that unless you have a tall car you can’t always adjust the seat up to the max setting. Same seats and cars as they have in Europe, so not sure what happens there!

Quornflakegirl thanks. I wil Google it. People thought I was mad when I didn’t move my 9month old forward facing as she was a large baby and outgrew her baby seat. This was 16years ago when rear facing car seats didn’t really exist for babies.

My DD stopped fitting in a HBB when she was 145cm and 10. She couldn't sit back in it and get her shoulders comfy, she went onto a booster and stopped using that before secondary school when she was nearly 12 ! My nearly 10 year old boys went onto Booster seats recently when they outgrew the HBB. Legally they don't need to be on anything but the seat belt sits too high without and risks severe abdominal injury in a crash and the pelvis is not yet wide enough to stop them slipping down under force or strong enough for the belt impact..height is not the main reason for car seats preventing injury. The side panels stop rotational and side impact, the raised seat and protected ksp belt stop abdominal trauma however most of their friends stopped using boosters years ago long before they were even legally tall enough. Mine don't seem to mind being on them as they feel more comfortable and can see more ! I will now keep them on them until they ask to stop or reach the end of primary !

Thanks for all the info. Once the Diono Monterey seats are back in stock I will try one. I’m not sure if the car height will allow it to be extended enough but will try. If not I will use an isofix backless booster to stop the booster slipping in a crash.